AIDS InfoNet
www.aidsinfonet.org
Fact Sheet Number 401A
TAKING CURRENT ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS:
Part A: NUCLEOSIDE, NUCLEOTIDE AND NON-NUCLEOSIDE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITORS
DRUG
DAILY PILLS (ADULTS)*
Abacavir (Ziagen)
2 (300 mg: 1, 2x/day or 2, 1x/day)
Non-nukes
(NNRTIs)**
Nucleoside Analog Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)
Combivir
(Combination pill)
Didanosine (ddI,
Videx, Videx-EC)
2 (150 mg lamivudine + 300 mg
zidovudine:
1, 2x/day)
Buffered tablet: 4 (100 mg: 2,
2x/day or 4, 1x/day)
Videx-EC: 1 pill daily; patients over
60 kg/132 lbs; 250 mg if below.
HOW TO TAKE & STORE
No food restrictions; alcohol boosts
abacavir levels.
SIDE EFFECTS
Hypersensitivity reaction in about 8%
of patients
Anemia, nausea, vomiting, headache,
fatigue, muscle aches, bone marrow
toxicity,
NOTES
Don’t use with just two other nucleoside analogs unless
additional drugs are used.
Chew or dissolve in water; take on
empty stomach; not within 1 hour of
indinavir or 2.5 hours of ritonavir.
Diarrhea, pancreatitis, abdominal pain,
neuropathy, nausea & vomiting
Don’t combine with stavudine (d4T). Check with your
health care provider if taking tenofovir.
Do not take with lamivudine (Epivir) or Truvada.
No food restrictions.
Do not take with zidovudine, stavudine or lamivudine
Emtricitabine (FTC,
Emtriva)
1 (200 mg; 1, once a day)
No food restrictions.
Headache, diarrhea, nausea, and
rash.
Epzicom
(Combination pill)
1 (600 mg abacavir + 300 mg 3TC: 1,
1x/day)
No food restrictions.
Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headaches
Lamivudine (3TC,
Epivir)
2 (150 mg: 1, 2x/day) or
1 (300 mg; 1, 1x/day)
No food restrictions.
Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headaches.
Stavudine (d4T,
Zerit)
2 (40 mg for people over 60 kg/132
lbs body weight, 30 mg if below; 1,
2x/day)
No food restrictions.
Tenofovir (Viread)
1 (300 mg: 1, 1x/day)
No food restrictions.
Trizivir (Combination
pill)
2 (150 mg lamivudine + 300 mg
zidovudine + 300 mg abacavir: 1,
2x/day)
No food restrictions.
See zidovudine (Retrovir), lamivudine
(Epivir) and abacavir (Ziagen) above.
Do not take with abacavir (Ziagen), emtricitabine
(Emtriva), lamivudina (Epivir), stavudine (Zerit), or
zidovudine (Retrovir) .
Truvada
(Combination pill)
Zalcitabine (ddC,
Hivid)
1 (300 mg tenofovir + 200 mg
emtricitabine: 1, 1x/day)
No food restrictions
Headache, nausea, vomiting, rash,
loss of appetite.
Do not take with ddI (Videx), emtricitabine (Emtriva) or
lamivudina (Epivir).
Zidovudine (AZT,
Retrovir)
6 (100 mg: 2, 3x/day) or
2 (300 mg: 1, 2x/day)
Delavirdine
(Rescriptor)
12 (100 mg; 4, 3x/day) or 6 (200 mg;
2, 3x/day)
Efavirenz
(Sustiva)
3 (200 mg; 3, 1x/day) or 1 (600 mg; 1,
1x/day)
Etravirine (Intelence)
Nevirapine (Viramune)
4 (100 mg, 2, 2x/day)
1 (200 mg; 1, 1x/day for the first two
weeks) then 2 (200 mg; 1, 2x/day)
1 (25 mg, 1, 1x/day)
Rilpivirine (Edurant)
Peripheral neuropathy, headache,
chills & fever, diarrhea, nausea, fat
loss in arms, legs or face.
Mild side effects; some nausea,
vomiting, loss of appetite. May
decrease bone mineral density.
Blood levels may be increased by bactrim/septra; don’t
take with (emtricitabine (FTC) or Zerit, d4T;) don't
combine with just two other nucleoside analogs unless
additional drugs are used.
Can reduce resistance to AZT. Don’t combine with just
two other nucleoside analogs unless additional drugs are
used.
Don’t combine with zidovudine (Retrovir) or didanosine
(Videx.)
Don’t combine with ddI. Don’t combine with just two
other nucleoside analogs unless additional drugs are
used. Don't take with Truvada.
Manufacture terminated in 2006
No food restrictions.
No food restrictions. 100 mg pills can be
dissolved in water. Take one hour apart
from ddI or antacids.
Take on an empty stomach before going
to sleep.
Anemia, nausea, vomiting, headache,
fatigue, muscle aches, bone marrow
toxicity
Skin rash, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting,
headache, fatigue
Take after a meal
No food restrictions.
Vivid dreams, anxiety, rash, nausea,
dizziness, diarrhea, headache and
insomnia
Rash, nausea, abdominal pain
Skin rash, fever, headache, nausea.
Take with a meal
Depression, insomnia, headache, rash
Don’t combine with d4T
May cause false positive result on test for marijuana use.
Watch for liver problems, especially if starting with higher
CD4 counts.
**NNRTIs are metabolized by the liver, as are many other drugs. Be sure your health care provider knows about all other drugs and supplements you are taking.
*These pill counts reflect the “normal” use of each drug. However, antiretroviral medications are being combined in new ways. Doses of each drug may be higher or lower in the new combinations.
A Project of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. Fact Sheets can be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.aidsinfonet.org
AIDS InfoNet
www.aidsinfonet.org
Fact Sheet Number 401B
TAKING CURRENT ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS:
Combination
therapy
Part B: COMBINATION THERAPY, PROTEASE, FUSION AND INTEGRASE INHIBITORS
DRUG
Atripla (emtricitabine + tenofovir +
efavirenz)
Complera (emtricitabine +
rilpivirine + tenofovir
DAILY PILLS (ADULTS)*
1 (600 mg efavirenz + 200 mg
emtricitabine + 300 mg tenofovir, 1x/day)
1 (200 mg emtricitabine + 25 mg rilpivirine
+ 300 mg tenofovir)
HOW TO TAKE & STORE
Take on an empty stomach before
going to sleep.
Take with a meal
SIDE EFFECTS
Vivid dreams, anxiety, rash, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea,
headache and insomnia, vomiting, loss of appetite
Depression, insomnia, headache, rash, diarrhea, vomiting
Stribild (emtricitabine + tenofovir +
elvitegravir + cobicistat)
1 (150 mg elvitegravir,+ 150 mg cobicistat
+ 200 mg of emtricitabine, + 300 mg of
tenofovir)
1 (50 mg dolutegravir + 600 mg abacavir +
300 mg lamivudine)
Take with food; 2 hours apart from
antacids.
Headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, vivid dreams,
anxiety, rash, dizziness, insomnia, and loss of appetite.
Loss of bone mineral density
Diarrhea, nausea and headache.
Triumeq
(dolutegravir+abacavir+lamivudin
e)
Amprenavir (Agenerase)
Atazanavir (Reyataz)
Darunavir (Prezista)
Protease Inhibitors
Fosamprenavir (Lexiva)
Indinavir
(Crixivan)
Lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra,
Aluvia)
Nelfinavir (Viracept)
Ritonavir
(Norvir)
Saquinavir (Invirase)
Tipranavir (Aptivus)
No food restrictions. Take with food
if also taking multivitamins or certain
antacids or supplements.
NOTES
May cause false positive
result for marijuana
Should not be initiated in
people with viral loads
over 100,000 copies/mL
Should not be started in
people with severe
kidney injury.
Genetic screening for
abacavir allergy should
be performed.
Manufacture terminated in 2007. Replaced by fosamprenavir (see below).
2 (300 mg, 1 + 1 ritonavir 100
mg once a day or 2 (200 mg,
once a day)
6 (300 mg; 2 + 1 ritonavir, twice
a day) or 4 (600 mg + 1
ritonavir, twice a day)
4 (700 mg; 2, twice a day) or
4 (700 mg, 2 + 2 ritonavir, once
a day; or 700 mg, 1 + 1
ritonavir twice a day)
6 (400 mg: 2, every 8 hrs, not
3x/day) or 9 (333 mg; 3 every 8
hours)
4 (200 mg lopinavir + 50 mg
ritonavir: 2, 2x/day)
9 (250 mg; 3, 3x/day) or 10 (5,
2x/day) or 4 (625 mg; 2,
2x/day)
12 (100 mg: 6, 2x/day); small
doses used to boost other
protease inhibitors
6 (500 mg: 2 + 1 100 mg
ritonavir, 2x/day)
8 (250 mg, 2 + 2 ritonavir 100
mg, twice a day)
Take with food.
Take with food.
High bilirubin. Nausea, headache, rash, stomach pain,
vomiting, diarrhea, tingling in hands or feet, and
depression. Changes in heart rhythm.
Diarrhea, nausea, headache, and a common cold. Some
people may get a skin rash. In rare cases, this could be
serious.
No food restrictions.
Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, numbness around
mouth, abdominal pain. Increase in cholesterol and
triglycerides.
Take with lots of water, on empty stomach or
with low-fat snack. Keep cool and dry.
Headache, nausea, abdominal pain, kidney stones.
No food restrictions for tablets; take liquid with
food. Keep at room temperature.
Diarrhea, fatigue, headache, nausea. Increase in
cholesterol and triglycerides.
Take with meals or a snack.
Diarrhea, nausea, gas, abdominal pain, weakness.
Take with food if possible. Keep refrigerated.
Take 2 hours apart from ddI.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tingling & numbness around
mouth. Increase in cholesterol and triglycerides.
Take within two hours of a full meal or large
snack. In hot climates, keep refrigerated.
Minimal nausea, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort.
Take with food. Refrigerate, or keep at room
temperature up to 60 days.
Diarrhea, rash, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness
and headache. Worsening of liver problems. Increase in
cholesterol and triglycerides.
A Project of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. Fact Sheets can be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.aidsinfonet.org
Protease inhibitors are
metabolized by the
liver, as are many
other commonly used
drugs. Drug
interactions can cause
large increases or
decreases in the blood
levels of drugs you are
taking.
Interactions can
cause under-doses
that are ineffective, or
overdoses that can be
fatal. Make sure your
health care provider
knows about all
medications and
supplements you are
taking.
AIDSInfoNet
www.aidsinfonet.org
Fact Sheet Number 401B
TAKING CURRENT ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS:
Part B: COMBINATION THERAPY, PROTEASE, FUSION AND INTEGRASE INHIBITORS (continued)
Enfuvirtide (Fuzeon)
Fusion
Inhibitors
Integrase
Inhibitor
Maraviroc (Selzentry, Celsentri)
Raltegravir (Isentress)
2 injections each day. 90 mg
per injection for adults.
1 or 2 tablets twice each day.
150, 300 or 600 mg per
tablet.
2 tablets (400 mg, 1, 2x/day)
No food restrictions.
No food restrictions.
No food restrictions.
Skin reactions where drug is injected ranging from
redness and itching to hard lumps.
Cough, fever, upper respiratory infections, rash, sore
muscles, abdominal pain, and dizziness. Can be hard on
the liver.
Dosage depends on
other medications being
taken.
Diarrhea, nausea and headache; elevated levels of
creatine kinase (relates to muscle problems)
Dosed 50 mg 1, 2 x/day
in patients with
suspected integrase
inhibitor resistance
These pill counts reflect the “normal” use of each drug. However, antiretroviral medications are being combined in new ways. Doses of each drug may be higher or lower in the new combinations.
Dolutegravir
(Tivicay)
1 tablet (50 mg, 1, 1x day)
No food restrictions. Take with food if also
taking multivitamins or certain antacids or
supplements.
Insomnia, headaches
Revised September 26, 2014
A Project of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. Fact Sheets can be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.aidsinfonet.org